Unless you’re exceptionally talented, most of us tend to fall in one of the following categories: naturally born runners or swimmers. For those of you who enjoy dipping your toes, congratulations on your minimal impact, aerobically efficient choice of exercise! But for those of us committed to hitting the pavement, our longevity within the sport of running involves a variety of challenges.
Before I start, I’d like to point out that there are a wide variety of health benefits associated with running. It's convenient, cheap, social and a fantastic form of aerobic exercise.
But running is also an incredibly strenuous exercise for our bones and joints. When we run, we transmit the force of anywhere between 3-8x our body weight through our bodies. This force tends to have a significant impact on our ankles, knees and hips but can also impact other areas of our body such as our lower back. So it's no wonder running leaves us prone to injuries!
If running is causing you more trouble than it’s worth, here are some tips to keep you on your feet:
Stagger your running regime. The classic mistake when starting running is to launch straight into the 5 or 10km run you were doing last time you ran. Don’t rush this, start small and gradually increase your distance.
Increase your cadence (step rate). Big strides may get you somewhere faster, but they also place more pressure through your legs and lower back. Try shortening your stride length!
Consider the surface you’re running on. The force transmitted through your joints can be greatly diminished by running on a more absorbent surface, try running on an oval/grass instead of concrete paths. ***Note there is a happy medium here, running on sand for example can place an excessive amount of pressure on soft tissue structures and exacerbate any pre-existing muscle or tendon issues!
Always schedule in rest days. No matter the style of exercise, your body needs the opportunity to recover.
Break up your run with intermittent walks. This can be great for anyone recovering from a tendinopathy or trying to lose weight. Try 10 minutes walking for every 5 minutes running. Walking burns a greater ratio of fat to carbohydrates anyway!
Ensure your hips are supporting your knees and lower back. Seeing an Osteopath to help assess this and provide a home management strategy may really help here.
Make sure you’re wearing suitablefootwear. There’s a big difference between a running shoe and a cross trainer for example, visiting your local Podiatrist could make all the difference.
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